PHILADELPHIA — Thanks in part to another short turnaround, the third for the Philadelphia Eagles in the last six weeks, the players really haven't had much time to contemplate the number of playoff scenarios that remain for themselves and everyone else still alive for the postseason.

"It doesn't make any sense to focus on anything other than what we have to do against Washington," center Jason Kelce said. "We know what's at stake and we know that Washington is a division rival and is going to play its best game. All we can do is win our games and see what happens. But it doesn't matter if we don't win our games. We can't control the rest of it."

For the record, the Eagles face a strong possibility of being eliminated from a playoff berth if they lose to the Redskins, because if Dallas would then win or tie on Sunday in a game it's favored to win over Indianapolis, it would be over. The Eagles cannot clinch a playoff berth this weekend under any circumstance, though they could regain control of their destiny if they win and Dallas loses. If that happens, all they would have to do next weekend is match or surpass what the Cowboys do to win the division for a second straight season.

"We've just got to play better," tight end Brent Celek said. "It's simple. I don't think there's anything scary about it. You just have to be ready to play. I mean, they're going to come in ready to play, they're going to want to beat us. … We've got to stay focused."

"We just have to win," cornerback Brandon Boykin added. "We have to win our next two games. Everything else is out of our control. What we can control is beating Washington, and that's 100 percent a priority right now."

What tight end Zach Ertz remembers from the first meeting was that despite the Eagles winning a 37-34 decision, how difficult it was for their offense, which produced just three touchdowns that day. Ertz was limited to two catches for 14 yards, and LeSean McCoy was held to 22 yards on 19 carries.

"The Redskins are a great defense," Ertz said. "They have a lot of Pro Bowl players on that front seven. Whether they're there or they're injured, their backups are playing really well. Trent Murphy is filling in very well for [OLB Brian] Orakpo. So they've got some players, and we've got to bring our 'A' game."

Chris Polk, it was revealed this week, will be the running back to take the ball in short-yardage and goal-line situations, which McCoy doesn't seem to mind.

"Polk's obviously the more powerful back," McCoy admitted. "He's not getting all of them. But if it helps the team, that's what I'm going to do.

"There were some plays I've seen in third-and-1 situations where I probably wouldn't have got it, where I see him hit a guy, drag a guy and get in there. It's hard to be selfish when you have a player like Polk where you can use him to do certain types of things."

McCoy explained how the dynamic has changed for this rematch.

"We're fighting for something," he said. "So it's a little bit of a different situation. I think the whole game, when we played them [the first time], it was so big, so hyped-up because [former Eagles wide receiver] DeSean [Jackson] coming in.

"… Now we're just going in there to win the game. We don't have nothing against him, [quarterback Robert Griffin III], none of that stuff. We just want to win the game, get out of there."

And get back to the playoffs, with a little help from their archrivals in Big D.